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India

Christmas tree-lighting 2010

Dad and the kids went off to the annual
Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Grand Hyatt, while Susan stayed
home with a bit of a cold. We dropped off our bags at the concierge desk
and headed down to join the festivities.Friends were the focus for the first few
minutes, until it was discovered that the 'fake' gingerbread house in the
corner was actually a 'real' gingerbread house! Then our kids (and all
the other kids, and most of the other adults) started picking pieces of
the candy off and eating it! Breck and Alea were no exception, and had
a good sugar buzz going before anything started happening!

All heads were turned toward the tree,
waiting for the moment when the lights would come on. When they did, a
gasp went up from the crowd, as the twinkling lights were beautifully reflected
on the hotel glass behind them.

Breck and his buddies were suitably
impressed, and even joined with the choirs as they sang on a few numbers.

And then - SANTA! Descending from
the rooftop, he rappelled down into the gingerbread house and made his
way to the front stage. Accompanied by his very Indian-looking elves, he
ho-ho-hoed his way through a ton of kids - including Alea and all her buddies!

But as soon as Santa appeared, then
those in the know made a beeline for the ballroom doors, as the most sumptuous
buffet of the year awaited on the other side. From the ham counter to the
sushi station and the decked-out bar (and the turkey, and Peking duck,
and shrimp, and cheese, and lobster, and pasta, and dessert), people did
their best to eat, drink, and make merry. The only things missing were
the chocolate fountain and the mulled wine, but the chicken nuggets,
fried potatoes, and ice cream cones were in place to keep Breck happy!

Finally we rolled out after stuffing ourselves,
knowing that tomorrow was a school day (and we still faced about an hour
ride home!). Catching one last glimpse of the tree through the lobby window,
we had one more chance to welcome the holiday season to Mumbai!